Iraq News

UN envoy proposes new international forum for Syria

The new UN envoy for Syria proposed Thursday (February 28th) that major powers create a common international forum to move the war-battered country toward peace, AFP reported.

Geir Pedersen, who took up his post in January, made the proposal during his first appearance before the UN Security Council, which remains deeply divided over the way forward in Syria.

"There is a shared sense that battlefield developments might be winding down," Pedersen told the council. "Nevertheless, the conflict is far from over."

"If we are to see how issues can be unblocked and how to help the parties move in a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned process, a common forum where key states engage seriously on those issues may be needed," he said.

Pedersen noted that five international armies operate across Syria's land and air space, creating daily risks for escalation and pledged to focus on improving international dialogue and co-operation.

The envoy said a much-discussed constitutional committee to pave the way to elections in Syria should be convened as soon as possible, although disputes continue over lists of participants.

"I am conscious of the need to end this conflict for the sake of Syria, the region and the world," Pedersen told the council. "I know you all understand the scale and the difficulty of my task."

The war in Syria will enter its ninth year in March, with more than 360,000 people dead and half of the country's pre-war population displaced.

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